Multiple cold rolling mill



M rch 21, 19 7 F. ZEUNERT ETAL,

MULTIPLE COLD ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 12. 1965 s .mt

In V817 fora.- W'I Z Zea/verf' W United States Patent 3,309,910 MULTIPLECOLD ROLLING MILL Fritz Zeunert, Rheydt, and Heinz Fahrenholz, Monchen-Gladbach, Germany, assignors to Mannesmann-Meer Aktiengesellschaft,Monchen-Gladhach, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Feb. 12, 1965,Ser. No. 432,153 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 18, 1964, M59,975 Claims. (Cl. 72-238) The invention relates to rolling mills, andrelates more particularly to multiple cold rolling mills of thestep-back type, the latter also sometimes being referred to as pilgrimtype rolling mills.

The rolls of these mutiple cold rolling step-back mills in constructionsof the prior art are formed by annular roll elements which have externalring grooves and which are mounted precisely spaced spart from eachother on a drive shaft. Spacer elements are provided which hold the rollelements apart; the roll elements are shrunk onto the shaft. The uniformdevelopment course of the rolling grooves is insured by a key-and-slotarrangement that passes through the entire group of roll elements andspacer elements.

The aforsaid constructions of the prior art have the disadvantage,however, that it is diflicult to remove the roll elements, yet such aremoval is necessary from time to time to re-finish the worn rollinggroove surfaces thereor or to exchange them. To remove the rollingelements, it is necessary to loosen them first by induction heating, andthen to move them off the shaft, for instance by means of an hydraulicretraction equipment.

In actual practice it has been found that the roll elements could bepried off only upon the application of a major effort, and that theslots for the keys had developed cracks which rendered the roll elementsunsuitable for re-use.

The cause for the development of the cracks may perhaps be found in theheat treatment to which the roll elements have been subjected. Whateverthe cause, however, the disadvantages of these damages to the rollelements are serious. They require to keep on hand a large supply ofroll elements, and cause a great deal of time loss in the exchange ofthe roll elements.

It is accordingly among the principal objects of the invention toprovide a rolling arrangement which avoids the aforesaid drawbacks ofthe prior art.

It is another object of the invention to provide a rolling arrangementin which the roll elements are easily mounted on, and dismounted from,the driving shaft.

It is a further object of the invention to cut the time losses duringthe interchange of roll elements, and to promote the re-use ofrefinished roll elements.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a direct positivedriving connection between the shaft and the spacer elements, and anindirect positive driving connection between the shaft and the rollelements, without any need to key the roll elements to the shaft.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide for a drivingconnection between spacer and roll elements which will not cause anydeformation of the roll elements.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the inventionconsists in the novel construction,

arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, asset forth in the claims hereof, one embodiment of the same beingillustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in thespecification.

In the accompanying drawing,

FIG. 1a is a sectional view taken on the line 1a--1a of FIG. 1b, showinga construction in accordance with the prior art;

3,309,910 Patented Mar. 21, I967 FIG. 1b is a fragmentary sectional viewtaken on the line 1b1b of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary large scale sectional view, taken on the line1c1c of FIG. 1b;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 22 of FIG. 3, similar toFIG. la but showing an embodiment in accordance with the instantinvention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary large scale sectional view, similar to FIG. 3but showing only a detail thereof.

In FIGS. 1a1c, there is shown a system in accordance with a constructionof the prior art. The key-and-slot arrangement extends throughout theentire group of roll and spacer elements. The previously mentionedcracks, that develop in the roll elements, are shown in FIG. 10.

In accordance with the instant invention, which is illustrated in FIGS.2-4, however, there are provided a series of, for instance three, rollelements 1 which are spaced apart from each other for precisepredetermined distances, and which are heat shrunk onto a drivingcarrier shaft '7.

A plurality of spacer elements or spacer disks 2 are mounted on theshaft 7; the spacer disks 2 are mounted loosely on the shaft 7, thoughthey are keyed to the shaft 7 each by means of a key 3 for positivedriven connection therewith. Each pair of adjacent roll elements 1 isseparated by a spacer disk 2, so that along the axis of the shaft 7 rollelements 1 alternate with spacer disks 2.

Drive means are provided that establish a positive, though indirect,driving connection from the shaft 7, by way of the keys 3 and the spacerdisks 2, to the roll elements 1. These drive means comprise a radialrecess 5 that is depressed in at least one of the flanks of each rollelement 1 and that forms a chamber with a similar recess that isdepressed in the flank of the adjoining spacer disk 2; and a drivemember 6 is positioned in each of these chambers.

The spacer disks 2 are so keyed on the shaft 7 that all the radialrecesses 4 are disposed in axial alignment. Each chamber has acylindrical section, and the drive members 6 are cylindrical, and eachfits into, and is disposed in, the cylindrical section of a chamber.

The radial recesses 5 are so positioned in the roll elements 1 inrelation to the rolling groove that, upon the interleafing ofcorresponding roll elements 1 and spacer disks 2 and the insertion ofthe drive members 6, the roll elements 1 will be disposed along theshaft 7 in predetermined position relative to each other.

In mounting the elements on the shaft 7, alternately a spacer disk 2 anda roll element 1 are put onto the shaft 7, and a drive member 6 isinserted in each chamber as it is formed by the juxtaposition of therespective recesses 4 and 5.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire tobe secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a multiple cold rolling mill of the step-back type, a drivingcarrier shaft, a series of annular roll elements having external ringgrooves and being heat shrunk onto said carrier shaft, a plurality ofspacer disks loosely mounted and keyed on said shaft, each roll elementbeing adjacent at least one spacer disk, and drive means establishing adriving connection between said carrier shaft and said roll elements, byway of said spacer disks comprising each roll element defining with atleast one adjoining spacer disk a radial chamber, and a drive memberfitting into and disposed in each chamber.

2. In a rolling mill, as claimed in claim 1, said chamber being formedof two opposite radial recesses of which one is defined in said spacerdisk and the other in said roll element, said chamber including acylindrical section, said drive member being cylindrical and fittinginto and disposed in said section.

3. In a multiple cold rolling mill of the step-back type, a drivingcarrier shaft, a series of annular roll elements having external ringgrooves and being spaced apart from each other and mounted on saidcarrier shaft, a plurality of spacer elements loosely mounted on saidshaft, at least some of the spacer elements being disposed each in aspace between two roll elements so that on the carrier shaft roll andspacer elements alternate, said spacer elements being keyed to saidcarrier shaft, said roll elements being heat shrunk onto said carriershaft, and drive means establishing .a driving connection between saidcarrier shaft and said roll elements by way of said spacer elementscomprising opposite radial recesses defined in each pair of adjoiningelements forming a chamber therebetween, and a drive member fitting intoand disposed in each chamber.

4. In a rolling mill, as claimed in claim 3, the radial recess being sopositioned in each roll element in relation to the rolling groovethereof that, upon the interleafed mounting of the roll elements andspacer elements and insertion of the drive members, the roll elements ofthe series will be disposed on said shaft in predetermined positionrelative to each other.

5. In a rolling arrangement for use in a multiple cold rolling mill, adriving shaft, a series of annular roll elements having external ringgrooves and being mounted on said shaft, a plurality of spacer disksmounted in positive driven connection on said shaft, each roll elementbeing adjacent at least one spacer disk, and drive means establishing adriving connection from said shaft by way of at least some of saidspacer disks to said roll elements comprising a radial chamber definedby each roll element with an adjoining spacer disk, and a drive memberfitting into and disposed in each chamber, whereby torque Will betransmitted from said shaft to said spacer disks, and from at least someof said spacer disks to said drive members and thence to said rollelements.

No references cited.

WILLIAM W. DYER, 111., Primary Examiner.

G. A. DOST, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A MULTIPLE COLD ROLLING MILL OF THE STEP-BACK TYPE, A DRIVINGCARRIER SHAFT, A SERIES OF ANNULAR ROLL ELEMENTS HAVING EXTERNAL RINGGROOVES AND BEING HEAT SHRUNK ONTO SAID CARRIER SHAFT, A PLURALITY OFSPACER DISKS LOOSELY MOUNTED AND KEYED ON SAID SHAFT, EACH ROLL ELEMENTBEING ADJACENT AT LEAST ONE SPACER DISK, AND DRIVE MEANS ESTABLISHING ADRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CARRIER SHAFT AND SAID ROLL ELEMENTS, BYWAY OF SAID SPACER DISKS COMPRISING EACH ROLL ELEMENT DEFINING WITH ATLEAST ONE ADJOINING SPACER DISK A RADIAL CHAMBER, AND A DRIVE MEMBERFITTING INTO AND DISPOSED IN EACH CHAMBER.